The Last Of Us: Part I - Darker Days (Male Reader)

Chapter 7 - A Small Light in a Dark World

Henry and Sam weren't what he was expecting.

Not at all.

The two brotherly duo seemed alright by some comparison to the three of them.

With Joel being the disgruntled protector, Ellie the ever curious buzzing bee, and Y/N, the kid that was slowly cracking under the pressure of so many people.

The prolonged loneliness had affected for so long, and now, it just felt awkward for him.

The awkward, dysfunctional kid.

Between the occasional snarkiness, the odd looks and the murdering rage of a bull.

It just felt like a right diagnosis of their characters.

"So, is it just you and your kids then?" Henry asked Joel.

"We're not related." Ellie spoke out quickly. "We're like um..."

"Friends?" Henry offered.

"Try acquaintances." Y/N said to the man as he crossed his arms over.

"I promised someone I'd look after her." Joel explained.

"Yeah, I can appreciate that." Henry nodded. "What about you?" He questioned the boy.

"I'm just a tag along." Y/N told him. "Just passing through on my way out of this city, nothing more."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

Ellie jumped at the chance at convincing the boy she had grown to like despite his hardness and unpredictability in what could be considered a shifted personality. Though she did like the easy banter, and god knows she couldn't get with Joel.

"We'll see." Is all Y/N said.

Moving onwards from the apartment building, they walked down a set of stairs before their inside corridor led them to a toy store connected to the very same building.

Kid toys, costumes and trinkets laid bare, and Y/N couldn't help but feel a large dread of discomfort that washed him over, as he examined the scene.

"We collect toys for the little ones. Anything we can find."

Y/N trailed his gaze around the place, before it settled on a rocking horse in the corner.

"It's a little piece of heaven for them in a dark world. You find anything you like, you can take it. Nobody will mind."

He remembered that day, he had picked up a yo-yo, as dumb as it was, he enjoyed using, despite the odd looks he got from the older guys who wondered why a twelve year old would play with such a thing.

"You'll really love the place, I know you will."

Shaking his head, Y/N shook the woman's voice away and turned to look at the others as Henry crouched low against the window with Sam. Only to hold his hand out seconds later, gesturing for them to stop.

"Wait, wait. Everyone be quiet." The man shushed them, and Joel, Ellie and Y/N did as told, "Get away from the window." As the sound of a motor could be heard, no doubt the truck. They crouched low before stained and dusted windows, waiting for it to pass.

As soon as the vehicle pulled away from the scene, they all breathed a little easier.

"Alright, they're gone." Henry said with a sense of relief around him as the others did the same, "Man... That fucking truck. It's been hounding us ever since we got into this damn--" The man turned back to notice his younger brother grabbing what looked like a toy. "Sam, what're you doing?"